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Thursday, January 06, 2011

Cabbage-and-Potato Frittata with Bacon...

Being left with half a head of cabbage after using it to make that Shepard's Pie, I went looking to figure out a way to use it before we had to toss it. Neither of us are giant fans of it (though, I am warming up to it), so it was going to have to be somewhat masked for it to pass muster with Jeff. I didn't have a ton to look through in un-tried files, but I did come across this Cabbage-and-Potato Frittata with Bacon! Potatoes and Bacon huh? Sounds like a smashing way to wiggle that cabbage into Jeff's belly without getting "The Look"!

With the bacon up first, the strips were cooked in one of our large skillets until crisp - I like to start them off in a cold skillet, then turn the heat up just to medium. Too quick of a heat and the texture never seems right - slower seems to work better rendering out the fat for crispy slices. With three tablespoons of that aggressive fat left behind, we used it to cook half-inch cubed potatoes and carrots until the two began to soften and barely take on a golden color.

The thin shreds of cabbage jumped into the mix, along with a scoop of chopped onion to cook down. While the recipe called for whole eggs, we had a bowl of whites hanging around in the refrigerator (I had used the yolks yesterday for another dish) that I needed to use or freeze - we ended up using seven eggs and six egg whites. If you'd rather not worry about the whites, drop them out and add three more eggs. Whisked together with a hit of salt and fresh ground black pepper, be sure to stir the eggs into the vegetables as you pour them into the skillet - this helps keep everything evenly distributed, rather than if you have just dumped the whole lot in the middle.

Since there are a lot of eggs involved here, to get this frittata cooked through, without having to think about hot spots, leave the skillet over the heat long enough to barely set the edges. When you see that, slide the pan into the oven and let the even heat inside do its job to gently finish off the still-runny center.

Usually you'd find some sort of cheesy addition in a frittata, but with the crunchy bacon crumbles and tender vegetables inside, we found we didn't miss it at all. That doesn't mean you can't add any though - I bet a handful of creamy goat cheese crumbles (sprinkled on just before the pan went into the oven) would be a lovely addition. If you'd like a tang, without the use of cheese, drop dollops of sour cream on just before serving. I'd also suggest a sprinkling of thinly sliced green onion on top for a pop of color and freshness, but alas we forgot to pick up any at the market.